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The season is just getting started in Michigan and I assume in Connecticut as well. If you live in an area that has good nectar flow periods which I would think you are, it is very realistic to expect a honey surplus.

I almost always get a surplus from packages started in May sometimes I even get two extractions.
If you don’t want to spend the money on extraction equipment try and find another beekeeper that will let you use their equipment for a couple of hives, or try and find used equipment. I bought my first extractor form a retired beekeeper for $100 bucks.

Last edited by Brent Bean; 05-02-2008 at 07:47 AM.

The Busy Bee teaches two lessons: One is not to be idle and the other is not to get stung.

And sometimes you can make friends with another beekeeper and borrow an extractor for free! Sometimes beekeeping clubs have 'club extractors' that members can borrow.

I had asked a long time club member (10 years) and she didn't know of any communal extractor that the club has for rent.. which kind of surprised me, since it's a big club and I get the feeling most of the people are hobbyists with 1-5 hives.

Man, I can't make crush and strain work to save my life. I'm abandoning the hole-bottomed bucket I made and will try a reinforced paint-strainer type bag just hanging before I give up. My last strain has been sitting for a month now :mad:.

>Man, I can't make crush and strain work to save my life. I'm abandoning the hole-bottomed bucket I made and will try a reinforced paint-strainer type bag just hanging before I give up. My last strain has been sitting for a month now.

How warm is the place you're straining it? A month in your humidity and the honey would have dried up.

Man, I can't make crush and strain work to save my life. I'm abandoning the hole-bottomed bucket I made and will try a reinforced paint-strainer type bag just hanging before I give up. My last strain has been sitting for a month now :mad:.

It's been indoors, and I have a black plastic trash bag over the whole thing for solar gain and to keep the moisture in. Though it hasn't been exactly hot here yet. But the house is in the upper 60s, plus hot sun on it several hours a day. Guess I'll wait until it's REALLY summer, but I'll have so much honeycomb to crush by then I'll have to figure a way to store it.